Campaign of the Month:
May 2014

Ladies in Hades and the Dyval Wears Prada

Journal - Trent - Entry 11

Deacon and James returned with the news that the mercenary outpost we remembered from a few months back (only days for us, of course) was gone. It’s unfortunate, I’m not sure what other places are around here where we could stock up on supplies. Not that it’s necessary yet, but I prefer to be prepared whenever I can be – hence the litany of new scrolls and talismen (what a rush the last few days were!)

James felt he needed to go away for a little while, I think he said to visit his family? Lucky him, having family to still visit. I’d rather not let him out of either mine or Deacon’s sight, but Deacon (does he have a real name? I need to remember to ask) is pretty insistent that we head north to help Solomon fight Baaz. Solomon has a good several day lead on us so I don’t know if we can catch him in time, but that’s Xiticix country up there and I can’t let Deacon go alone. I’ll just have to hope that whoever James is going to talk with about us isn’t someone too important or powerful.

We’re still a few days from when Pall Mall said he’d meet us, so at the meeting place I left him a note. More specifically, I sent it to the future, when he should be there. I told him we went north to follow a fellow named Solomon, and we’d explain when he caught up to us. I don’t trust leaving too much information in that note – I can’t be sure Pall is the one who will find it first. Or at all, really.

So Deacon and I started north. He hasn’t found Solomon’s trail yet but we’ve seen signs of battles against Xiticix. We suspect that they may be Solomon’s handy work. I’ve been able to keep us going at least in the right direction. Assuming that north is still the right direction…

Day 2 travelling into Xiticix territory.

I’ve been using the Cleanse spell to try and keep both mine and Deacon’s smells masked. I think I remember hearing the Xiticix can track by smell? Still no solid evidence of Solomon’s trail but we’ve encountered more battle sites. Thankfully we’ve avoided any Xiticix attention so far.

Day 3 travelling into Xiticix territory.

Now I’m starting to find it suspicious that we haven’t run into any of the flying bugs yet. More battle sites, no conclusive signs that we’re on Solomon’s trail, and we’re one day away from my “point of no return”. Deacon hasn’t been very chatty, which is ultimately fine I guess. Gives me more time to study the memories of the Black Vault in these amulets. I’m seeing what look like pretty formidable defenses in there, that somehow the Deevils were able to just ignore. I don’t think I’d be able to, though. I’m working up a map based on these memories, but these creatures were all over the place, it’s difficult to really know how accurate what I’m “remembering” will ultimately be. I’m beginning to think this won’t be nearly as easy as I was hoping.

Day 4 travelling into Xiticix territory.

This is is, my “point of no return”. We’ve been very lucky so far to avoid any Xiticix. Too lucky, I’m thinking. There’s been even more battle sites now. Did Solomon slaughter them all? Or that Deevil, Baaz? Are there other Deevils or Demons in the area, killing these things? My energy sphere will only be good for another 4 days – I’d be a lot more comfortable having that extra magical energy to fall back on if we do encounter any of the bugs as we head out of their territory. According to the ancient sage Murr Fee, anything which can go wrong, will go wrong, and based on that wisdom I expect that if my energy sphere runs out of time, THAT’S when we’ll finally run into a patrol of Xiticix.

Deacon did seem to think he found solid evidence that Solomon not only went through this area, but that he’s only about a day ahead of us. He and I will need to figure out if we still want to press on to meet with him, or give up. I suspect I know what Deacon will want to do.

Day 5 travelling into Xiticix territory.

We found a hive! Deacon convinced me to keep pressing forward since we were so close, and we somehow made it unmolested to a Xiticix hive! We saw Solomon lying in wait near the entrance, ready to spring some sort of ambush. We started to move closer when several warriors flew out of the hive, buzzing straight for us! Solomon leapt from his cover to cleave one in half. I disoriented another one while the remainder pressed their attack to Deacon and me. A quick time stop against them removed their immediate threat, and we set up a careful line-up of laser blasts to await them once their time re-started. Threat eliminated.

That’s when James arrived, riding a flying, flaming horse creature. I wish I was making that up. We all went inside the hive at Solomon’s insistence. Is it just me, or is he looking at me differently now, after our battle? Inside the hive were some Xiticix creatures but they didn’t attack us, just acted all irritated. Until we encountered a super-warrior! Everyone sprang into action. On a hunch I used that dragon-eye gem and discovered it was another Deevil! It didn’t matter, before I could overcome my shock Deacon finished it off with a killing blow.

We went deeper into the hive and in a large room found a strange old man and a suit of red SAMAS armor. Impaled on the wall was a woman, writhing in pain. At least, that’s what I saw with the dragon’s eye still in my hand. Letting it go, I saw an illusion of a Xiticix Queen? What the heck is going on in here?